2018 UMass Minutemen football team

2018 UMass Minutemen football
Conference	Independent
Record	4–8
Head coach	Mark Whipple (11th season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Ed Pinkham (2nd season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium
Seasons ←  2017 2019  →

2018 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 5 Notre Dame ^			–						12	–	1
No. 19 Army			–						11	–	2
BYU			–						7	–	6
Liberty			–						6	–	6
UMass			–						4	–	8
New Mexico State			–						3	–	9
^ – College Football Playoff participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2018 UMass Minutemen football team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was the fifth year of head coach Mark Whipple's second stint at UMass and 11th year overall. The Minutemen divided their home schedule between two stadiums. Five home games were played at the UMass campus at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium with one home game at Gillette Stadium. This was UMass's third year as an independent. They finished the season 4–8.

On November 21, head coach Mark Whipple resigned. ^[1] He finished with a record of 16–44 in the five years of his second stint as head coach and 65–70 in his eleven overall seasons. On December 3, the school hired Florida State offensive coordinator Walt Bell for the head coaching job. ^[2]

UMass wide receiver Andy Isabella was named a consensus All-American at year's end.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Davey O'Brien Award [3]	Andrew Ford	QB	SR
Doak Walker Award [4]	Marquis Young	RB	SR
Fred Biletnikoff Award [5]	Andy Isabella	WR	SR
Butkus Award [6]	Bryton Barr	LB	SR
Paul Hornung Award [7]	Andy Isabella	WR/KR	SR
Wuerffel Trophy [8]	Andrew Ford	QB	SR
	Andy Isabella	WR	SR
Manning Award [9]	Andrew Ford	QB	SR

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 25	5:30 p.m.	Duquesne (FCS)	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	ELVN	W 63–15	8,684
September 1	1:00 p.m.	at Boston College	Alumni Stadium Chestnut Hill, MA (rivalry)	ACCN Extra	L 21–55	30,112
September 8	6:00 p.m.	at Georgia Southern	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA	ESPN+	L 13–34	15,071
September 15	7:30 p.m.	at FIU	Riccardo Silva Stadium Miami, FL	beIN	L 24–63	14,695
September 22	3:30 p.m.	Charlotte	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	ELVN	W 49–31	10,086
September 29	2:00 p.m.	at Ohio	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	ESPN3	L 42–58	19,056
October 6	3:30 p.m.	South Florida	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	ELVN	L 42–58	7,988
October 20	3:30 p.m.	Coastal Carolina	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	ELVN	L 13–24	11,134
October 27	12:00 p.m.	at UConn	Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT (rivalry)	ESPNU	W 22–17	24,150
November 3	3:30 p.m.	Liberty	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	ELVN	W 62–59 3OT	10,338
November 10	12:00 p.m.	BYU	Gillette Stadium Foxborough, MA	ELVN	L 16–35	14,082
November 17	4:00 p.m.	at No. 5 Georgia	Sanford Stadium Athens, GA	SECN	L 27–66	92,746
Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Schedule Source: ^[10]

☆All Eleven Sports broadcasts will be simulcast on NESN or NESN+.

Game summaries

Duquesne

See also: 2018 Duquesne Dukes football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dukes	3	6	0	6	15
Minutemen	21	14	21	7	63

The Minutemen's game against Duquesne was the first of the 2018 college football season, kicking off 90 minutes before Prairie View A&M–Rice. ^[11]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP DUQ UMass 1 13:57 1 32 0:08 UMass Brennon Dingle 32-yard touchdown reception from Andrew Ford, Mike Caggiano kick good 0 7 1 11:35 2 77 0:45 UMass Andy Isabella 60-yard touchdown reception from Ross Comis, Cooper Garcia kick good 0 14 1 6:20 8 87 3:01 UMass Bilal Ally 1-yard touchdown run, Mike Caggiano kick good 0 21 1 0:50 6 28 2:58 DUQ 32-yard field goal by Mitch MacZura 3 21 2 14:30 5 75 1:20 UMass Andy Isabella 14-yard touchdown run, Cooper Garcia kick good 3 28 2 3:12 12 62 4:19 UMass Marquis Young 2-yard touchdown run, Mike Caggiano kick good 3 35 2 0:05 9 66 3:07 DUQ Nehari Crawford 5-yard touchdown reception from Daniel Parr, 2-point pass failed 9 35 3 12:22 6 54 2:38 UMass Andy Isabella 44-yard touchdown reception from Andrew Ford, Cooper Garcia kick good 9 42 3 10:09 UMass Interception returned 60 yards for touchdown by Brice McAlister, Mike Caggiano kick good 9 49 3 3:33 8 81 3:40 UMass Ross Comis 1-yard touchdown run, Cooper Garcia kick good 9 56 4 10:27 17 71 2:55 DUQ Daniel Parr 2-yard touchdown run, Mitch MacZura kick failed 15 56 4 7:42 7 87 2:43 UMass Zak Simon 14-yard touchdown reception from Ross Comis, Mike Caggiano kick good 15 63 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 15 63

At Boston College

See also: 2018 Boston College Eagles football team and Boston College–UMass football rivalry

	1	2	3	4	Total
Minutemen	7	0	0	14	21
Eagles	14	34	0	7	55

At Georgia Southern

See also: 2018 Georgia Southern Eagles football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Minutemen	3	7	3	0	13
Eagles	0	17	10	7	34

At FIU

See also: 2018 FIU Panthers football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Minutemen	7	3	14	0	24
Panthers	14	28	14	7	63

Charlotte

See also: 2018 Charlotte 49ers football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	0	10	7	14	31
Minutemen	28	7	7	7	49

At Ohio

See also: 2018 Ohio Bobcats football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Minutemen	21	7	7	7	42
Bobcats	14	21	17	6	58

South Florida

See also: 2018 South Florida Bulls football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	10	10	28	10	58
Minutemen	7	7	14	14	42

Coastal Carolina

See also: 2018 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chanticleers	3	0	14	7	24
Minutemen	3	3	7	0	13

At UConn

See also: 2018 UConn Huskies football team and UConn–UMass football rivalry

	1	2	3	4	Total
Minutemen	3	0	6	13	22
Huskies	7	0	7	3	17

Liberty

See also: 2018 Liberty Flames football team

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	3OT	Total
Flames	14	10	0	21	7	7	0	59
Minutemen	14	10	7	14	7	7	3	62

BYU

See also: 2018 BYU Cougars football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cougars	7	7	14	7	35
Minutemen	10	0	0	6	16

At Georgia

See also: 2018 Georgia Bulldogs football team

	1	2	3	4	Total
Minutemen	7	6	7	7	27
No. 5 Bulldogs	14	28	17	7	66

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2019 NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
2	62	Andy Isabella	WR	Arizona Cardinals

References

1. "Mark Whipple steps down as UMass football coach" . Retrieved March 6, 2023.
2. VanHaaren, Tom (December 3, 2018). "Walt Bell new UMass head coach after 1 year as FSU coordinator". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
3. "Davey O'Brien Award Watch List includes 26 players". July 17, 2018. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
4. "2018 Doak Walker Award Candidates". July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
5. "2018 Biletnikoff Award Watch List". July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
6. "Butkus Award - 2018 Collegiate Watchlist". The Butkus Award. July 23, 2018. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
7. "43 PLAYERS NAMED TO 2018 PAUL HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
8. "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
9. "Manning Award: See which quarterbacks made the preseason watch list for 2018". August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
10. "2018 UMass Minutemen Football Schedule | Minutemen | FBSchedules.com". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
11. "2018 College Football Schedule". fbschedules.com. Retrieved August 18, 2018.